The present invention relates generally to a connector for a flat printed circuit or a flat flexible cable which is typically referred to as FPC or FFC. Throughout the disclosure and claims, the wording xe2x80x9cFPCxe2x80x9d will be used to generally referred to both the flat flexible cable and the flat printed circuit.
Conventionally, an FPC connector includes an insulative housing provided with an FPC insertion cavity and a plurality of contact terminals disposed within the insulative housing in a side-by-side relationship with a predetermined pitch. The terminals have contact portions which extend into the FPC insertion cavity. A pivoting actuator is disposed between contacts of the FPC and is designed to apply the necessary contact pressure to cause displacement of contact beams integrally formed with the contact terminals by pivotal motion thereof. Displacement of the contact beams is either for urging the contacts onto the conductors of the FPC or for widening an insertion gap for the FPC. Such FPC connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,498, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Heisei 11-31561. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Heisei 10-208822 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Heisei 10-214661.
As set forth above, displacement of the contact beams integral with the contact terminals by pivotal motion of the pivotal actuator causes resilient deformation of the contact terminals. Therefore, in order to permit pivotal motion of the pivotal actuator without requiring a large activation force, a relatively large arm is required to reduce the force needed to move the actuator so that sufficient force is provided to create an adequate electrical and mechanical engagement between the terminals and the FPC conductors. Therefore, the extra length serves as a hindrance for down-sizing of the FPC connector.
On the other hand, a stress is exerted on the contact terminal by pivotal motion of the pivotal actuator. It is possible that during a solder reflow process for mounting the FPC connector on the printed circuit board the stress which remains in the contact terminals can cause the characteristics of the terminal to change in the pressure of the heat. Also, since the force of the actuator is placed between the housing and the terminals, the housing must be larger to accommodate this extra force.
The present invention has been designed to solve the shortcomings set forth above. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an FPC connector which has a structure permitting down-sizing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an FPC connector which has a structure not exerting residual stress on terminals irrespective of pivoting position of an actuator while an FPC is not connected and to not have the force of the actuator placed between the housing and the terminal thereby permitting former housing downsizing.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an FPC connector which has a structure to be easily designed for obtaining he necessary contact pressure.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, a connector releasably coupling, electrically and mechanically, connectors of a flat printed circuit according to the present invention is provided with an insulative housing defining an FPC insertion cavity. A plurality of terminal is held in said housing in a side by side relationship with contact beams extending in the FPC insertion cavity, the terminals each have a support post held to and extending away from the base. Extending laterally from the support post is a pivot point and a contact beam. A plurality of biasing beams arranged adjacent the terminals have a first end, a second end and a fulcrum point. A pivoting actuator including a shaft rotates within the pivot point of the terminals. The shaft has a cam which, when the actuator is in the down or locked position, engages the first end of the biasing beam causing the biasing beams to rotate about their fulcrum points moving the second end into contact with the FPC whereby the FPC is in electrical engagement with the terminals and the FPC is tightly held mechanically between the terminals and the biasing beams.